After months of hard work, Tiffany recently passed her International WELL Building Institute – IWBI WELL AP exam and is now a WELL Accredited Professional. The WELL Accredited Professional (WELL AP) credential denotes expertise in the WELL Building Standard (WELL) and a commitment to advancing human health and wellness in buildings and communities around the world.
Now more than ever, the WELL AP community is uniquely positioned to lead a global effort to support the health and well-being of people everywhere. A few words from Tiffany on her experience.
Early on in my career I recognized that the built environment, encompassing the structures and spaces where people live, work, and interact, plays a significant role in shaping the overall well-being of individuals. Factors such as lighting, ventilation, spatial design, noise levels, and access to nature can profoundly influence physical health, mental well-being, and the healing process.
In my experience, this especially rang true in the context of mental health.
It wasn’t until the last five years that I really started seeing the industry invest in research and studies that reflect the growing awareness of the importance of designing spaces that support mental health and overall well-being.
This research is beginning to provide evidence-based insights into how architectural and design choices can positively influence mental health outcomes. I am now able to incorporate these findings into our projects, aiming to create environments that foster healing, reduce stress, enhance productivity, and ultimately contribute to a better quality of life for individuals.
When presented with the opportunity to become a WELL AP I knew instantly the impact and importance this would have on me personally and professionally. To have the data that supports my passion for creating human-centered spaces has been transformational and I am excited to bring a piece of this to our projects moving forward.
The WELL Building Standard is an evidence-based system for measuring, certifying, and monitoring the performance of building features that impact health and well-being. WELL integrates performance thresholds after the design/prescriptive green building work has been completed. Additionally, behavior and human resource optimization for wellness are addressed in the Standard.
WELL Building Standard is grounded in research. Medical, scientific, and building system research. How can building systems improve health systems? Paul Scialla at Delos pioneered this standard and when he says they took architects and doctors and put them in a room, they really did! Continued work with the Mayo and Cleveland Clinics, for example, adds credibility to each feature within the WELL Building Standard.
We are very proud of Tiffany and are very excited to see the impact on our projects moving forward!
